By Liz Daley, “A Passion for Performance”
There are plenty of ways to make a great living, even in today’s economy, so why do we give up our weekends and accept the personal “stress” of 30, 40, 50 or more weddings a year?
Why do we subject ourselves to multiple “job interviews” a week and thus abuse our fragile egos with the inevitable rejection that occurs when we quote a rate that enables us to stay in business?
Why do we smile when that drunken person asks for, “You know, that song by that artist” as they unknowingly dangle their sloshing glass directly above our expensive equipment?
Why do we put up with it and choose this life?
The short answer is, because our jobs are fun! Even in the middle of all the stress and chaos, we get to have fun for a living.
This was the best party…ever!
Who doesn’t light up inside when someone says these words to us? It’s like a drug. As DJ entertainers, we know that what we do during a party is actually pretty difficult, and that we do indeed “make” the party, and yet few people outside the industry truly respect us.
Even in the face of ridicule due to public misconceptions, we professionals remain proud of our work. Why? Because we know that without us, the reception would be a very expensive dinner party.
Getting acknowledgement from clients and guests makes all the hard work worthwhile. I mean, c’mon…tell me another occupation where 20 people will tell you how great you are and how well you did your job at the end of the workday?
Accolades feel good and they prop up our egos so we can deal with the next week of potential rejections.
It’s the Little Things
This past weekend, I prepared a surprise voice-over message from the bride to her father during the musical introduction of their dance together. It was simple and sweet. When the voice over finished, and the lyrics began…the guests burst into spontaneous applause.
It was a beautiful moment that will be remembered, and I helped make that happen. Immediate gratification!
You are an ARTIST!
Artists are artists because they NEED to be artists. They don’t have any other choice. Being a great DJ is an art!
If you’ve ever seen DJ Toad mixing videos or vinyl, you know what I’m talking about! Even if you’re not at that level, choosing the soundtrack to keep multitudes of people happy for 5 hours or more is an art!
Being a great Master of Ceremonies is an art! You set the tone, focus the attention, direct the dynamics and entertain the audience. This is an ART!
Steve Moody has presented a panel of pros every year at the DJ Times Expo, and these ladies and gentlemen make it look easy…especially Marz!!! He is a rock star and all his clients know it! We should all be so cool!
Don’t you think that we have the best JOB…ever!
